Taichung to Launch Autonomous Bus Trials This Year, Aiming to Reduce Manpower Demand

Taichung, May 17 (CNA) The Taichung City Government is promoting a pilot program for autonomous buses in the Shuinan area, with public trials expected to begin this year. The route will pass by Central Park, the Green Museum of Fine Arts (Green-Bito), and the International Convention and Exhibition Center. Transportation Bureau Director-General Yeh Chao-fu stated that this initiative is expected to reduce the demand for human drivers and usher in a new era of transportation. In a press release today, the Taichung City Transportation Bureau announced that to monitor the testing progress and system readiness before the autonomous buses hit the road, representatives from the National Audit Office, the Taichung City Audit Division, and Director-General Yeh recently visited Kingwaytek Technology's testing site at the Chunghwa Telecom Telecommunication Laboratories in Yangmei, Taoyuan, to experience the autonomous bus system firsthand. The autonomous bus is a vehicle featuring indigenously developed autonomous driving technology, integrating vehicle body design, an autonomous driving system, sensing modules, and an operational platform. It is equipped with high-precision maps, an AI perception and decision-making control system, and is combined with V2X communication technology, enabling it to perceive, decide, and drive stably in specific application scenarios. After the test ride, Yeh Chao-fu remarked that through real-world verification, the potential applications for autonomous vehicles in public transport connections and short-distance park mobility are being explored. This visit to the Yangmei test site shows that domestic autonomous driving technology has accumulated comprehensive testing experience, with overall performance approaching international standards, demonstrating Taiwan's considerable R&D strength and development potential in the fields of intelligent transportation and autonomous driving. The Transportation Bureau noted that testing at the Yangmei site is a crucial preparatory stage before the Shuinan autonomous buses are officially launched. The site features complex driving conditions such as heavy traffic, frequent illegally parked vehicles, and varying road widths, effectively simulating real-world scenarios that may be encountered on urban roads in the future. The Bureau explained that Taichung's Shuinan area will host important facilities like a transportation hub, Central Park, the Green-Bito, and the International Convention and Exhibition Center, leading to a significant increase in short-haul shuttle demand. Advancing the implementation of autonomous buses will help create an intelligent, low-carbon, and forward-looking public transportation system, with public trials scheduled to start this year.